Should a verdict in a criminal trial have to be unanimous?

The number of hung juries in criminal trials in Jefferson County in 2011 was 2 percent more than the national average. Some blame television and the “CSI” effect for leading jurors to expect evidence that can only exist in a Hollywood script. Others suggest that defense attorneys did a better job than prosecutors.

Should a verdict in a criminal trial have to be unanimous?

Yes. We shouldn't let juries send innocent people to prison to improve the rate of convictions.

No. We don’t have unanimous verdicts in civil cases and it works fine.